I saw the original version of this cake on Food52 in an article with Alice Waters. The Cardamom Cake looked so delicious with it’s crackly crusty. I am drawn to cakes that don’t need icing, which I generally find too sweet. I immediately began to make the cake for dessert that night only to find that I was missing the main ingredient- cardamom seeds. I had ground cardamom, but I needed something to replace the texture I would be missing by not using the seeds, so I used poppyseeds. Well, this was a happy experiment, because this cake came out amazing. I love the texture, the slight sweetness and the fact that it would go with just about any topping.

Tips:

• Weighing your ingredients is always a good idea when baking. You will use less flour than the dipping method, which results in a more tender cake.

• It’s important to get the cake out of the pan while it is still very warm. If you wait too long the sugar on the bottom will harden and may stick, which will make it difficult to remove.

• Store any leftover cake on the counter, covered and it will keep for a few days.

Crackle Cake

Serves 8

PREP 25 minutes

COOK 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups (264 grams) granulated sugar, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/3 sticks (150 grams) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour

2 pinches salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by cutting a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Use softened butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar on the bottom and sides, then allow any excess sugar to fall to the bottom of the pan.

2. Use a stand mixer to cream together the eggs and sugar. Allow the mixture to blend at medium speed for about 5 minutes until it is fluffy and has doubled in volume.

3. In a small bowl combine the flour, cardamom, poppyseeds and salt. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and gently fold them together with a rubber scraper.

4. Add the butter and vanilla and stir until all combined. Pour into the prepared pan and tap it a few times on the counter to get air bubbles out.

5. Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. You will also notice the sides pulling away from the pan.

6. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes before releasing it from the springform pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and enjoy warm or cool.